Just a Touch
by Shi-Toyu
Summary: Loki escaped at the end of the battle with the Chitauri, avoiding capture by simply disappearing. A week later, though, in the most unexpected of places, he has returned...and he intends to claim what is rightfully his, Tony Stark. FrostIron. Slash. Soulmate fic. There WILL be smut.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Thor hadn't been so sure about attending the gala, but apparently the one known as Pepper was requiring each of the Avengers to go. It was a fundraiser to help pay for the damages caused to New York during his brother's invasion, so he supposed he could understand the nobility of the gesture. It rankled him, though, that Loki had disappeared at the end of the fight and had not been seen since. Would it not be more worthy to be out there trying to track him down?

But, the Thunder God supposed, they had been trying to do just that for the past week with no avail. Even Banner and Stark seemed unable to come up with a device that could sense him. Thor feared he may have fled to another Realm, out of their reach. Still, he had sworn not to return to Asgard until he was able to bring his brother home with him.

In the meantime, Stark, or possibly his woman, had decided to tap into the pocket books of the wealthier residents of New York and host this party in the name of charity. Having all of the Avengers there would supposedly go a long way toward getting bigger donations. This Thor understood as well. He was not as oblivious to the ways of the court as Loki believed.

It was not a bad celebration, by Thor's standards. It was not as rambunctious as a feast of Asgard and the food was a bit harder to figure out, not to mention the ale was not as strong, but it was elegant enough that Thor found his thoughts wondering to his own mother. In fact, he'd even been able to just start enjoying himself when a cold shiver ran down his spine. His head immediately snapped up to scan across the room.

"My brother is here, comrades. I can sense him."

'_Rodger that,'_ came the Captain's response via device Stark had unceremoniously shoved in the god's ear. _'Everyone, report. I want this room covered from top to bottom. Thor, how close is he?'_

'_Barton, here. I've got a view from above, heading up to a nest.'_

"I am afraid I know not his exact location. I can merely sense his magic when he chooses to use it, as he is now. But he must be close, else I would not be able to feel him at all."

'_Umm..This is Bruce. Checking in, I guess. I really don't think it would be a good idea for the Big Guy to show up with all these people around…'_

'_Agreed. Find Ms. Potts and inform her of the situation. The sooner we can start getting people out of here, the better. Where are Stark and Widow?'_

'_Stark got dragged off by some girl to dance not long ago,' _Natasha's voice replied. _'She was rather insistent. He probably can't get away without causing alarm. He'll join us when he can.'_

Thor still wasn't quite sure what to make of his new teammates, especially the eccentric billionaire, but he had learned to trust the Lady Natasha's judgment on anything that involved human behavior. More than any of the others, she had helped him come to terms with the mortals he now lived among. She'd also been the one to put him in contact with his Lady Jane, through some device known as 'video chatting'. If she said Stark would join them, then Thor saw no reason to doubt her word.

'_Alright,' _the Captain was saying in his ear, _'we'll have to continue on without him until then. Thor, you know…your brother better than the rest of us. Where do you think he would strike?'_

"I am still unclear as to why he would come to Midgard in the first place, friend Rogers. The power of the Tesseract and the allure of the throne, they do not seem like the brother I always knew…though I fear now that I never knew him at all."

'_Right, well, sorry about your family troubles, but that's super not helpful. I've got a nest, by the way. I have eyes on Stark. You weren't kidding when you called that girl insistent, Nat. She is all over him! I can't wait to watch him get chewed out by Pepper over this.'_

'_Enough, Barton. Any sign of Loki?'_

'_Not a hair, Cap. If he's close, he's not in the room.'_

'_Keep an eye out. Natasha, do you think you could check the other rooms without being seen?'_

'_Already on it. He's not in the kitchen or the back alley. I'm heading back in now to check the other areas.'_

"Take caution, shield sister, my brother has not earned the title 'Trickster' without reason."

'_Captain Rogers?'_

'_Ms. Potts,' _the Captain sounded surprised, _'I wasn't aware Stark gave you a com.'_

It didn't take someone with Natasha's skills to hear the accusation in his tone.

'_He didn't,'_ the woman shot right back, _'I'm using Bruce's. I can use the excuse of a kitchen fire to get everyone out without a panic. Would that work for you?'_

'_I can go ahead and start clearing out kitchen staff,'_ Natasha supplied.

'_No. Finding Loki is more important right now. Until we have eyes on him, there's no telling what he'll be able to do. I'll head to the kitchens and start evac there. Thank you, Ms. Potts. Would you mind pulling Stark off the dancefloor before making your announcement?'_

'_What's he doing on the dan-'_

That was when the first scream cut through the room. Thor whipped around to try and get a look at where it had come from, but the crowd was too thick. The god immediately began shoving mortals out of his way.

'_Fuck!' _Barton curse. _'Loki's got Stark! He fucking shapeshifted! I repeat, Loki has Stark!'_

'_Do you have a clear shot?'_

'_Negative. We need to get them apart.'_

True to Barton's word, Thor pushed past the last of the panicking civilians to find his brother and comrade in the center of the room. Tony, as he'd insisted Thor call him instead of 'Son of Stark', was completely lax in Loki's arms. His head lolled back against the god's shoulder and his face was flushed darkly. Thor could see the rapid heaving of the mortal's chest.

Loki stood behind the mortal, keeping him pulled close to his chest. One arm was wrapped around Tony's shoulders, hand slipping into his slightly unbuttoned shirt. The other was wrapped around the mortal's waist, edging up under the hemline. Thor immediately felt a sense of dread settling into his chest.

"Loki!"

Thor registered both the Captain and Natasha appearing on either side of him, but Loki seemed to be having a hard time dragging his eyes away from Tony's face.

"Ah, Thor," he finally managed. "I had wondered when you and your pitiful team would realize I was here."

"Release the Man of Iron, Loki! And reverse this enchantment you have placed upon him!"

For Thor knew it was an enchantment, had seen Loki use it before. He knew of how it ensnared it's victims, how they became wrapped around his brother's finger. Thor glared at his brother, willing him to remove his hands from Tony, knowing the spell required physical contact to enhance its strength.

"No!" Loki snarled fiercely, all but clinging to his captive. "He is _mine!_ I shall not let you take him!"

Thor instantly frowned, throwing out one hand to forestall the Captain's charge.

"By what means do you claim him, brother? I have not seen you in such a state for nearly eight centuries…"

It said a lot about the situation that Loki didn't react to Thor calling him his brother, instead turning back to stare at Tony again. This time, Thor could see the gentleness in his gaze.

"He was chosen by the Norns, Thor, not I. He bears my _mark_."

Natasha gave a sharp inhale at Thor's side, and the god did not blame her in the slightest. Soulmarks were as rare on Midgard as they were throughout the rest of the Nine Realms. Throughout his life, Thor had only known three others to bear the mark of their soulmate besides his brother. Even if he had been oblivious to Loki's suffering in other way, not even his past self could have missed the way his brother always ran a hand across his soulmark, always kept an eye out to find its match.

"Show me," the thunder god bit out gruffly.

The hand that was beneath Stark's shirt moved further up, dragging the material up with it until a design was revealed. It was extremely simple, a thick, wide-set V with crooked ends. It was also extremely familiar. Thor had seen in a million times before, emblazoned on his brother's forearm.

"It's a tattoo. He got it when he was eighteen and horrifically drunk. He doesn't even remember who did it."

Pepper had apparently pushed her way through the crowd, too, Bruce at her side. She looked just as desperate as she sounded. She had reason to be, Thor supposed, with all of this coming to light.

"SHIELD has had its suspicions," Natasha cut in. "No pictures of it appeared in the press of it until he was in his twenties, but SHIELD has unearthed pictures of it from when he was as young as fourteen."

"Impossible…" Pepper breathed, but even Thor could see she was doubting herself.

For his part, Loki was dragging the genius slowly away from them. Tony's legs moved awkwardly to follow, but they clearly weren't doing much. There was a faint 'whoosh' before Loki's head whipped to the side, his arms automatically releasing Tony and letting the genius fall to the floor.

The arrow Clint had released left a deep cut along Loki's cheek bone and the god looked even more crazed with blood running down his face. He scrambled to reach for Tony again, grabbing hold of the genius from one side as the Captain reached him from the other. A hard yank that the mortal would no doubt feel in the morning, tugged him away from the super soldier back into the god's arms.

"Do not be foolish, brother! If the Man of Iron is truly your soulmate then we shall work something out. I shall talk to father! But you _must_ be _reasonable_."

"Reasonable? You dare call me a fool when you seek to take him away from me? I have only just found him and you expect me to give him up," Loki spat, crouched with Stark cradled in his arms. His gaze zeroed in on Thor. "_You_ are the fool, Thor, and I shall dally with you no longer."

He and his captive winked out of existence, disappearing with a completeness that Thor was woefully familiar with. As the other Avengers scrambled to contact SHIELD, to get on top of this, Thor instead sunk into his own thoughts. Loki had always been possessive, ever since they were children…and there had never been anything he'd wanted as badly as he'd wanted to find his soulmate. Now that he'd found Tony, there was no way it was going to end easily.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Tony groaned as he woke up, blinking his eyes open to stare up at the ceiling. His shoulder ached, but not nearly as much as his head did. He squeezed his eyes shut a few times before he finally felt up to the task of actually seeing anything with them. Pushing himself up into a seated position strained his shoulder a bit, but he only grimaced.

The first thing he noticed was that this definitely was not the tower. It wasn't a room he recognized from any of his homes, in fact, and it felt way too warm to be SHIELD…Where in the Hell was he? The room was softly lit by a bedside lamp, casting shadows across the cream-colored walls. Every piece of furniture in the room was a dark-stained wood, from the bed itself to the dresser that sat against the opposite wall.

Two doors led out of the room, he presumed one to a restroom and one to the rest of the house. There weren't any pictures that he could see, but there were plenty of books stacked on every availably surface. It felt very lived in, definitely someone's home as opposed to a hotel. Tony found the place comforting, somehow, but it still wasn't quite right. Something was missing, something he needed but couldn't quite remember. He was just throwing aside the beige comforter, with light green embroidery, when one of the doors opened and someone he definitely had not been expecting appeared.

"Oh," Loki looked surprised, "you're awake."

Tony didn't respond, too caught up in his body's conflicting reactions. He knew he needed to get out of there, contact SHIELD or the other Avengers, but the other part of him was finally settling down. He no longer had that compulsion to seek out and find that _something_. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it before nearly jumping out of his skin as Loki sank down onto the bed next to him, trailing a hand up Tony's arm before curling it around the back of his neck.

"There you go, that should be better."

And oh, it was. Like slipping into cool water on a hot day, relief rushed through him. Loki was there, was beside him, and he didn't need anything other than that. The only thing he wanted was get closer, to feel the god against him. He squirmed in Loki's hold, leaning into Loki's side and whimpering in such a way that would cause him utter mortification in any other scenario.

Loki's arm just dropped around his waist and pulled him closer. He shushed Tony's whimpers, placing a kiss to his forehead. His hand crept under Tony's shirt to rub soothing circles with his thumb. The mortal just snuggled closer, sighing in satisfaction.

"Shhh…It'll be alright." Loki spoke gently, "It's only until you get used to me. Once our bond has had time to form, I won't need to use this spell anymore."

His other hand came up to stroke the side of Tony's face and the genius let his eyes flutter shut, just enjoying the sensation. The pain in his skull was gone, but it had been replaced by a kind of fuzziness that was not entirely pleasant. He was glad Loki was there to distract him. Loki was a good distraction.

"You are beautiful, you know. I have never encountered another being quite like you. I could not have chosen a better partner for myself."

The hand was moving farther up his waist again, the palm pressing flat against Tony's mark. He liked the touch, oddly enough, since he normally hated any one so much as looking at it. He'd started off hiding it at Howard's insistence, so that no one tried to copy the mark and attempt to take advantage, but he had grown to hate it over the years. He'd decided he didn't need a soulmate. He was perfectly capable of making his own destiny.

"I want to see it," Loki spoke into his ear, sending shivers along Tony's spine, "I need to see it."

He gently maneuvered Tony until he was lying back on the bed, legs still hanging off the edge at the knees. Loki knelt over him, a look of utter captivation on his face. His fingers skirted along the hem of Tony's shirt, pulling it slowly upwards until the mark on his hip was fully exposed. Tony squirmed, taking the initiative to pull his shirt the rest of the way off. He was distantly glad that some of the buttons were already undone so he could just pull it over his head.

Loki's hands hovered over Tony's chest, not quite touching, so he arched up into them. Loki trailed his hands along Tony's sides, petting his flanks before focusing on the V that decorated his abdomen. His breath was shaky as he ran his fingers over it, his pupils dilated. It wasn't _enough_, though, and Tony needed _more_.

He fought against the fog that clouded his mind and made his limbs feel so heavy and clumsy. He surged upward, catching Loki's face in his hands and pulling the god in to press their lips against each other. The hands on his abdomen spasmed before moving around his back to pull him closer. Loki pulled him up further, turning them so that Tony was straddling his lap.

Their lips moved together perfectly, Loki tilting his head to the side and guiding them to make up for Tony's lack of his usual control. He licked at the seam of Tony's lips, begging entrance that was instantly given. His tongue teased the mortal's just a bit before growing bolder and pushing deeper. Tony groaned deeply in response, grinding down with his hips until he could feel Loki's arousal pushing up against him.

He found himself on his back so fast that he actually bounced on the bed's surface. Loki was up, pressing himself against the opposite wall, chest feeling. Tony's shoulder ached from being tossed onto it, but it didn't compare in the slightest to how much he ached to have Loki back. He moved to follow the god, but a strangled, "No," stopped him in his tracks. He whined instead and watched as Loki's entire body shuddered.

"No," he said again, this time with more strength. "I will not use this spell as an _excuse_…You are mine, Stark. Never doubt that, but you will give yourself to me by your own choice."

Loki turned away, then, heading for the door, and Tony suddenly understood what his brain had been struggling to process. Loki was rejecting him, was _leaving_ him. Because, apparently, somewhere in that big, messed up bag of cats, Loki didn't think Tony actually _wanted_ him. He couldn't let that happen, couldn't let him leave while thinking that. In fact, he didn't want to let Loki leave at all.

He scrambled forward, nearly tripping over his own feet as he tumbled off the bed. He was on Loki in seconds, gripping him from behind and freezing the god in place. Tony forced his mind to churn out cohesive thought, forced the fog to clear just enough for him to struggle through the use of his own mouth to form words.

"I have wanted you," he spoke roughly, "since the moment I saw you in Stuttgart."

And it was true, completely true. He'd felt guilty as Hell about it because, of course, _Pepper_ and also _supervillain_, but that hadn't changed the facts. It wasn't that Loki was even his type, there'd just been something that had drawn Tony to him. But he could deal with that, more or less, when he'd thought the attraction was purely physical.

He'd avoided watching the security footage of Loki while on the helicarrier, an easy thing to get away with since both he and Bruce were supposed to be tracking down Selvig and the Tesseract. But then there had been that encounter at the tower and, despite getting thrown out of a window, Tony had _fun_. He'd enjoyed bantering with Loki, trading quips and making claims they both knew were bullshit.

Tony's hidden away in his lab ever since the attack with the pretense of trying to track the god down somehow. Really, he was just worried that he'd take one look at Pepper and realize he didn't feel the same way. Not that Tony'd been all set and ready to throw himself into Loki's arms, certainly not as much as he seemed to be now, but there was just something about him that fascinated the genius.

"I cannot trust you word," Loki said regretfully, "while you are still under the influence of my spell."

"Then take it off."

"Our bond is not yet complete," he said as he turned around, facing Tony once more. "It needs more ti-"

Tony cut him off with a kiss.

"You never know if you don't try…"

Loki just stared at him, blinking a few times. Then his hand was on Tony's forehead and the fog in his brain began to slowly drain away. The headache quickly moved back in to take its place and Tony groaned, staggering backward until his legs hit the bed and sat down heavily.

"_Jesus_, Lokes…You leave one Hell of a hangover…"

"My apologies," the god said as he moved over to sit next to Tony once again, and, holy shit, this was a guy who'd been _leading an invasion_ just a week before. "It is a side effect of the spell I used. It will take a few more minutes for the magic to drain entirely from your system and then I will be able to relieve at least some of your pain."

Tony didn't respond, too busy trying to sort through and figure out his disjointed memories from, what he assumed to be at least, the night before. The gala had been going well, but Tony had been absolutely miserable up until the point when that woman approached him at the bar. As soon as she'd touched his arm, Tony had forgotten all about the numerous reasons he did not want to be there. He'd even followed her out to the dancefloor after she'd insisted. Then, of course, she'd turned out to actually be Loki in disguise. He really needed to get better security for these events, if supervillains were getting in.

The thought that Loki could become a woman at will was both terribly interesting and slightly unnerving, but it was completely disregarded as the memory of Loki's conversation with Thor came back to him. Loki had claimed that Tony _belonged_ to him, that he bore his _mark…_It could only mean that Loki bore his mark as well. Tony didn't need a soulmate, of course. He was getting along just fine without one…

"Can I see it?"

The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. But could anyone really blame him? He just wanted to _see_ it. It wasn't like this meant they'd actually be together. Obviously, Loki thought so, but Tony had other plans. Pepper related plans. Not getting locked up by SHIELD plans, even. Plans that definitely did not involve giving in to the stupid, silly notion of having a _soulmate_.

There was a long moment between them before Loki nodded. He moved to unbuckle his left vambrace, treating the leather as though it were delicate silk. He pulled the metal guard from his arm and set it aside carefully before beginning to roll his sleeve up. When his arm was bared to just below his elbow, Loki held his arm out for Tony's examination.

The mark wasn't as big as Tony's, only about two inches from top to bottom, but there was no denying it was the exact same mark. Tony's breath hitched just looking at it. He reached out with hesitant fingers to touch the skin it was embellished upon, utterly mesmerized. He left a rush of affect, a rush of _need_ that had nothing to do with any spell. He looked up to gaze at Loki with wide eyes, full of desire.

"We're gonna wait the few minutes before you can use whatever voodoo painkillers you've got up your sleeve, and then you'd better fuck me into this mattress until my ass hurts just as much as my head does now."

Loki practically growled.

"When I am through with you, the only thing you will be able to remember is that fact that you belong to _me_."

Somehow, that sounded just fine with Tony.


	3. Why You Read This

Chapter Three

Loki hadn't planned for this encounter to turn sexual. Of course, he had every intention of having his mortal eventually, but he refused to take advantage of the one being in all of the realms that was meant to stand at his side. There would be satisfaction in that, too, in waiting for his brother's teammate to _choose_ his submission to Loki. He just had not expected Stark to choose it quite so quickly.

For all he had felt the pull toward Stark, that slight obsession that sent him into a dizzying spiral in the days following the invasion, he hadn't expected the mortal to feel the same way. Then he'd discovered a picture of the genius online where he bore the mark, saw it emblazoned upon the mortal's flesh like a brand. Surely, Stark would not be inclined to even talk to the would-be conqueror.

So Loki had begun to plot, to plan as he was so wont to do. He'd heard about the gala and knew the Avengers would be in attendance. His prize would be so close, he had only to reach out and take it. But Stark would fight. Of course he would. So Loki used the spell to make him complacent, to keep him from running away until the bond could link them together permanently. It was a good plan, but it seemed the mortal would always take the path least expected.

He'd lost himself in the feeling of Stark's lips against his own. It had not been the most skilled kiss he had ever participated in, the mortal was still suffering from the effects of the spell and it was impressive he was moving as well as he was, but it had been intoxicating. The need to consume had curled in Loki's chest, egging him on as he plunged himself into Stark's mouth.

Then the mortal had ground their hips together and Loki was jolted back into reasonable thought. He'd thrown Stark away from him while he'd still possessed the strength and fled to the other side of the room. He needed distance, needed control. Being so close to the mortal _did things_ to him. He drew in a shuddered breath at Stark's whimpers of loss. He knew it was the spell, but hearing that _sound_…

He'd tried to escape before his resolve could be broken. The last thing he wanted was to take advantage and give Stark a reason to turn him away. He would be careful, take every precaution. He would not allow for anything to go awry. But then Stark have been upon him, had found his voice when the spell should have taken it away. He had asked to see the mark, and Loki could not deny him that. At Stark's words, Loki had felt such lust and possessiveness well up within him as he never had before. He went about the spell to rid Stark of his headache with more enthusiasm than he had ever shown before while pursuing a healing spell.

Their mouths crashed together in a near-violent manner and Loki tasted blood as Stark's lip split. He'd have to fix that, see to it that his mortal was able to withstand his strength. It would not do, after all, for his lover to be unable to keep up with him. It seemed Stark had other ideas, though, as he pressed their lips even harder together and moaned lowly. The sound went straight to Loki's already aching cock.

"Stark-"

"No. Not from you. I do not want to be called that from you."

The mortal sounded desperate and Loki knew there must be history behind the request but he had no desire to drag in out into the open in that moment. He knew that that the mortal's friend occasionally called him 'Tony' but the title seemed so belittling. He refused to use it.

"What is your full name, light of my heart?"

He moved his lips along the mortal's jaw, pressing kisses to his beard and skin before trailing them down to the man's neck. He guided them slowly backward until his lover's back was pressed into the mattress and Loki was pressed against his side.

"Anthony Edward Stark," was the gasping reply.

"Anthony, then."

The god liked the way the name rolled across his tongue, its strength and solidity. It was a good name, a proud name. It was worthy of his soulmate, and Loki would be the only one to call him that. He would make sure of it. The name was _his_ now, just as much as it was the mortal's.

His lips, undeterred by the possessive thoughts of his mind, continued on their path. The mortal, _Anthony_, tilted his head back to allow Loki more access to his neck and the god reveled in the privilege. His teeth scraped over skin, marking the territory that now belonged to him. Their soulmarks were so easily hidden, covered by cloth and armor. His blood boiled with the desire to leave marks on his mate that could not be hidden, that would show all of the Nine Realms just to whom Anthony belonged.

The body beneath him responded beautifully, writhing and arching up toward him. Breathy moans and hisses of pain mixed with pleasure slipped past reddened lips and half-lidded eyes stared out at him from a flushed face. Loki knew what his prize must be experiencing, for Loki was as clever as he was wild. He studied, watched each minute change in facial expression or twitch of the body below him in order to discern what would bring Anthony the greatest pleasure. He would take his mortal apart with his lips, he vowed, before he ever allowed himself an ounce of pleasure. With one last kiss to Anthony's neck, he pulled away to sit up on his haunches.

His eyes swept over the body laid out before him with appreciation as he plotted his course. He moved one of his legs to press between Anthony's, meeting no resistance along the way. The god moved in close, licking a stripe with just the very tip of his tongue from the waistband of Anthony's dress pants all the way up to the shell of his ear. The flesh beneath his tongue shuddered at the sensation. It was a simple thing to blow a breath of cooling air, laced with magic, across the trail and Anthony was moaning once again. One of his mortal's hands came up to stroke the side of Loki's face and he purred into the touch.

"Oh, God…Do you have any idea the way you make me feel?"

"Shh…" Loki hushed him, bending low to nibble on the lobe of his mortal's ear. "This is only just the beginning. There is so much left for you to feel…"

Anthony dragged him into another kiss and Loki indulged for a few moments before pulling away once again. He had _plans_ and he would not allow his mortal to ruin them…Anthony had done quite enough of that during the invasion.

He shuffled down a bit on the bed, just enough so that he would be more comfortable, and turned his attention to Anthony's chest. His stature was pristine, so far as Loki was concerned. He was not so bulky as many of the Aesir, nor as hard. He was soft, pliant, but sturdy and strong, at least by Midgardian standards. Scars roped across his chest, both from the glowing device and from what Loki could only assume to be unrelated incidents. They stood as testament that his mortal's strength was far more than just the physical. Loki thought he was perfect.

Cool lips curled around a dark nipple and Loki sucked lightly, just enough for Anthony to feel the pressure. One hand trailed up and down the other's sides, stimulating that massive brain just a little bit more. Loki's tongue began to slowly circle the nub, making his mortal squirm but not giving him enough stimulation to be driven truly mad. It would be the slow burn that was his undoing in the end, Loki knew.

He blew air across Anthony's nipple, watching it pucker and harden with smug delight. There were many men who did not feel such strong pleasure from having their nipples played with. It pleased the god to see this was not the case with his own lover. While not quite so sensitive himself, he did enjoy toying with others. It was such _fun_ to know he would be able to bring Anthony to his knees by merely pinch and twisting two fingers. It was a lovely mental image and the god knew he would make it a reality on many occasions to come.

His mortal's hands found their way into his black locks as he latched on once again with his mouth, this time dragging his teeth sharply over the sensitive skin before kissing it soothingly. Anthony's responses were exquisite. A tiny jerk here, a shuddered gasp there; it nearly drove Loki wild. He very closely wished to disregard his vow and ravage his mortal right then and there. But that would not do. He would prove that he could bring Anthony pleasure like no other in all the Nine Realms. He would prove it first in the bedroom, and again when they had left. Anything his mortal desired would be laid at his feet.

Loki continued his oral work on Anthony's nipples while his hand explored his mortal's skin. The mark, _their mark_, burned like a brand under his fingertips. He couldn't be sure if Anthony felt it, too, or if the heat was the bond's response to Loki's own magic. He lingered there, savoring the feeling, before moving on to chart out the rest of his lover's marvelous body. He traced the scars, skimmed his fingertips along the faint outline of abs, and teased the top of Anthony's pants. His mortal pushed upward in response, seeking more contact and receiving nothing but amused chuckles for his efforts.

He finally released his mortal's abused bud, leaving the skin around it an angry red that glistened with his saliva. The other one practically begged to be paid the same attention, but not at the moment. 'Later,' Loki promised it from the safety of his own mind, 'I will not forget about you.' He placed a gentle kiss to the raised skin before placing one that lingered a bit longer to the glowing disk in Anthony's chest. Dark hair fell to frame his face and, basked in the light of the blue glow, Loki knew his sharp features would stand out more than ever. It was a calculated move and, judging by the sharp inhale from Anthony, it paid off. Loki flicked his tongue out and tasted the tang of the metal.

"I must admit, I wondered as to the function of this device. What power must it possess, that you implanted it within yourself?"

"It keeps me alive."

His mortal's voice sounded tense, and not with abundant pleasure. Loki frowned, mind instantly leaping back into a mode of fierce protectiveness. Fire burned within his frozen heart.

"What do you mean?"

He needed to know, not just to sate his own curiosity. Loki could not afford to do anything that would harm what was finally his. It would drive him mad, madder than The Titan himself. Best to know now and avoid the destruction of all of the Nine Realms.

"The arc reactor," Anthony released his hold on Loki's hair to gesture at the light source in his chest, "powers an electromagnet that sits underneath it. I got caught near a bomb a few years back, a bunch of shrapnel, tiny pieces of metal, became embedded in my chest. This," he tapped the device, "keeps those pieces from reaching my heart."

Loki stared at the device, frowning. He was unfamiliar with bombs and shrapnel and electromagnets, but that did not mean he could not follow the gist of his soulmate's explanation. His fingers twitched with the desire to heal his love, though he was not sure where to even begin.

"Does it hurt?"

Anthony gave a one-shoulder shrug.

"Sometimes…Most of the time. But I'm used to it. It doesn't bother me."

It bothered Loki.

"Are you uncomfortable? Do you need to sto-"

"I swear to God that if you finish that question I will flip us over and fuck you myself. Don't you _dare_ wind me up this much and then take it away."

A smirk twisted the edges of Loki's mouth and he was forced to bury his face in the crook between Anthony's neck and shoulder to hide it. He bit the skin there as retribution.

"I would not dream on it, my One."

Conversation clearly closed, though Loki had every intention of coming back to it later, the god returned to his previous task. He drifted down Anthony's body, his hair falling forward to trail lightly across tanned skin now that no hands held it back. His tongue darted out to taste the flesh of his mortal, to feel the way his muscles twitched and fluttered beneath Loki's touch. He traced every scar, every line of muscle that he could find. He worshiped every inch of the beautiful creature that the Norns had seen fit to gift him with.

Anthony's hands fisted in the comforter on either side of his body. His hips lifted in a search for more contact until Loki finally just took hold of them and pressed them back into the mattress. Still, his mortal did not beg and it pleased Loki to no end. He would earn the pleas that fell from Anthony's lips, would tear then from his mortal with all the precision and efficiency of a surgeon set to task. There would be nothing left unconsumed.

His lips finally moved to the one patch of skin they had been avoiding. The mark that sat just above Anthony's hip seemed to shine even in the dim light, even with the darkness of its pitch. It called to Loki, egged him forward, demanded his attention. The god was more than willing to give it.

He started with closed-mouth kisses, light brushes just barely ghosting over the surface of the mark. His lips were left burning form the sensation and Anthony writhed beneath him, letting out a string of expletives the god could not even hope to understand. His tongue soon followed, tracing the wide-set mark from one crooked end, down to the angle of its V and back up the other side.

"Bite me," Anthony urged. "Claim me where I am already marked."

Loath to disappoint, Loki set about the task of doing just that. He nipped and bit and sucked the skin all around the mark until he was sure it would be little more than one massive bruise in the morning. His teeth had cut deeper than intended in a few places and broken the skin. He licked at the seeping blood apologetically. He did not mean to harm his lover, but Anthony only moaned louder and did not seem to mind.

Feeling satisfied with his work so far, Loki moved to undo his mortal's belt. The leather was supple between his hands and came undone with ease. Loki did not even bother pulling it from the loops before he popped the button of Anthony's pants and eased the zipper down. The soft 'clickclickclick' of the tiny teeth was nearly drowned out by the sound of his mortal's panting.

Slipping his fingers slowly beneath the waistband of both Anthony's boxers and his pants, Loki eased them off his frame and down his legs. He disregarded them as soon as they were free, throwing them to a corner of the room. He had to sit back on his haunches once again to admire the beauty that was laid out before him.

Anthony was spilled across the bed, languid as a cat napping in the sun. His face was flushed scarlet, the dark blush dusting his tan features. His honey-colored eyes remained riveted on Loki's, never blinking or wandering for even a moment. His cock hung heavy between his legs, swollen and clearly hard as a rock just from Loki's ministrations. The god licked his lips unconsciously at the sight. He had never seen any being so gorgeous.

"See something you like?" Anthony teased, even though his own voice was as gravely as stone. It was clear that Loki's examination was giving him just as much pleasure as it was giving Loki.

"Undoubtedly," the god replied before sweeping in for another kiss.

This time, the meeting of their lips was unhurried and they moved against each other almost lazily. Anthony's hands rose to cup either side of Loki's face and the god made absolutely no complaint. They stayed that way for several long moments, just basking in the warmth of each other's glow.

His mortal's eyes followed him with rapt attention as Loki slid off the bed and folding himself down onto his knees beside it. He settled himself between Anthony's thighs, nudging his mortal's legs apart to give him the room he desired. Anthony's gaze was full of desire and Loki grinned devilishly.

"Do not think that just because I _kneel_ for you, that you are somehow now in charge…"

His mortal snorted.

"With you, babe? I wouldn't dream of it."

Loki bent to kiss the inside of his mortal's knee before biting the skin there gently.

"You presume to mock me? Perhaps I must teach you your place…"

A shiver ran through Anthony's body and Loki recognized the hint of fear intermingled with the arousal. He kissed the inside of Anthony's knee once again to show he held no ill will and was rewarded as the spark of mischief returned to his mortal's eyes.

"You can try. Can't guarantee how well it'll work for you, though."

"That is alright," Loki murmured into his mortal's skin as he kissed his way higher along the thigh. "I have always enjoyed overcoming a challenge."

He bit down with the last word, sucking as he did so and holding down Anthony's hips as the god left a truly spectacular mark upon his inner thigh. It would begin to bruise in a matter of minutes, if Loki's theories of Midgardian physiology were correct, and would last for at least a week…plenty of time for Loki to leave a new one.

Anthony's own hand crept over his thigh to stroke a thumb across the bite. He hummed in satisfaction and the sound filled Loki with warmth. He dipped his head to catch Anthony's pointer finger in his mouth. His lips closed around the digit as his mortal's breath hitched and Loki swirled his tongue experimentally. His mortal dragged himself upright in response, clearly uninterested in having to stretch his arm down the bed for this sensation.

Loki grinned around the finger in his mouth and dropped his mouth open to suck in a second one, a reward for Anthony's eagerness. His tongue, clever thing that it was, danced around the fingers stuck in his mouth, coating them with saliva until the digits glistened in the light each time he drew back before plunging back down. The calluses caught on his tongue, rough patches across soft skin.

Anthony watched his with a look of utter devotion and it drove Loki over a mental edge he did not previously know he possessed. He growled low in his throat before releasing the fingers. He kissed his way up Anthony's arm, kneeling higher on his knees until he was just shy of Anthony's height while sitting. His mortal's lips tasted sweet as he claimed them.

"It is not enough, my dear," he panted. "I must have more of you. Kneel on the bed, bend at the waist."

His mortal followed the orders without hesitation, scooting back on the bed before lifting his legs and flipping over so that he wouldn't smack Loki in the face. He bent low, shoulders pressed into the comforter as his ass stuck high in the air. His legs were parted, inviting Loki closer, daring to take what was meant to be his. Loki ran one hand reverently up Anthony's thigh and along the curve of his cheeks.

"You are so beautiful, so good for me. I will endeavor to repay you this honor."

For all his earlier words had spoken of dominance, Loki felt no desire to bend this creature to his will. Anthony would stand beside him as none other could ever hope to, his equal, his soulmate in every sense of the word. An image flashed through his mind of Anthony, draped in Aesir finery and lounging across the throne of Asgard. He would look gorgeous, Loki thought, with a golden crown upon his head.

He growled with the arousal of that image in his mind, rising up to join Anthony on the bed. His hands trailed up and down the inventor's back, feeling the nobs of his spine and discovering a whole new set of scars. One day, he promised, he would map every one with his lips and tongue as Anthony told him where each had come from. Any left alive who had inflicted them would not remain so for long.

Loki pressed his lips to the top of Anthony's ass, murmuring a soft spell to insure he was clean. Neither of them had exactly planned for this, least of all his mortal. His fingers trailed across the inventor's cheeks, dipping ever so slightly between them before spreading them and holding them apart. Loki smirked at the puckered hole that was revealed to him, so unsuspecting.

He licked his lips before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the bundle of nerves there. He chuckled when Anthony's hips jerked in surprise and gave it a flick of his tongue. The muscles tightened on reflex, rejecting the foreign sensation, but Loki was not dissuaded. He would need his lover properly opened up for what was to come later in the evening.

He worked his tongue with a single-minded devotion, flicking and pressing until Anthony's body eased slowly open. He was hot on the inside, hotter than Loki could have possibly imagined and the god groans at the thought of such a heat enveloping his cock. The sounds reverberated through Anthony's entrance and they're soon moaning together. His mortal was panting in need and Loki knew he must be close.

He nibbled at the ring of muscle before pushing his tongue in deeper, searching for the angle that would plunge his mortal over the cliff. He wanted nothing more than to be the cause of that over and over again, never ceasing. He could spend the rest of his life in bed with Anthony and feel forever satisfied. What an easy solution to Midgard's invasion problem.

He felt, more than heard, Anthony's cascade into orgasm. His entire body shook, muscles clenching spastically before finally giving over to his release. Anthony seemed to make a half-aborted noise before collapsing upon the bed, spent and mindless of the fact he now lay in his own seed. His body quivered beneath a sheen of sweat and Loki felt no small amount of pride. He licked a stipe between his mortal's shoulder blades.

"Come now, Anthony…We are not finished yet…"

"Loki," Anthony rolled over, panting the word, "I…I can't. I'm not-"

"Enough." Loki grasped his mortal's hips with a wide grin, pumping magic into him to revitalize his system and bring his flagging erection back to full mast. "You may find your limits more extended than they were previously."

His mortal was staring at him with wide eyed fascination.

"Magic?"

Loki smothered his own chuckling with another kiss.

"Magic."

Anthony pushed back into the kiss, rising up to meet Loki before striving even farther and turning them over until he sat astride the god's hips. Loki allowed it with a small smirk, his hands coming up to curl around either side of Anthony's waist. His thumb rubbed the mark on Anthony's skin and the heat there made him cant his hips upward before he could stop himself, his mortal briefly thrown off balance before righting himself.

Anthony tsked at him disapprovingly before bending low and nipping at the tip of his nose. Loki could only blink at him in startled surprise, making the man laugh. Loki had never shared a bed with another who seemed to have so much _fun_ with it.

"Now, now, Lokes…There's nothing to get so _uppity_ about." He ground his hips down onto Loki's erection to emphasis his words and the god had to bite his lip to keep from moaning aloud. "You were just so helpful with that little magic trick of yours…I thought you deserved a bit of a reward."

He purred out the last word and Loki felt his cock twitch between them. Anthony's grin only seemed to get bigger. He cut Loki off with a kiss when the god opened his mouth to reply.

"Shh...This is only just the beginning. There is so much left for you to feel…"

Loki groaned at having his own words turned back and used against him. How could any being in all the Nine Realms be so perfect? He's fantasized of this day, wished for it more and more every time he was shunted aside by his supposed father and brother. Never, though, could his dreams live up to this reality. He banished his clothes from his body with barely a thought, he was so desperate to feel more of his mortal's skin against his own.

Anthony rose up on his knees, smirking at the god's eagerness and reaching behind himself to position Loki's cock at his entrance. It was still wet from Loki's treatment with his tongue, but he knew it would not be enough to make for a painless experience on Anthony's part. Reaching between them, he clasped his mortal's hand where it was wrapped around Loki's cock and guided it up and down. He summoned forth a lubricant to coat the skin and Anthony gasped at the feel.

"Magic lube? Very nice."

Loki might have responded if his mortal hadn't chosen that moment to sink down and engulf the god's aching member with heat and tightness and _oh, by the Norns…_Loki's mind stuttered, even as his hands scrambled to regain their previous purchase upon Anthony's waist. The warmth surrounding him clenched and a strangled groan escaped his lips. His mortal chuckled.

"You know," his tone was meant to be casual but hitched as he rose up and sank down once again, "I have to admit that I never thought I'd have an actual god in my bed."

Loki's hips rose up to meet his mortal's downward thrusts and he gasped as the sensation. This was by no means his first experience with sex, but it was definitely winning by a landslide when it came to best.

"Not your bed," was all he managed to grit out.

Anthony kept their pace slow and languid, something Loki allowed only because he knew he would not be able to control himself for much longer. His mortal rode him like a quartermaster on the palace's finest steed, all confidence and poise. He sat tall with his shoulders back, rolling his hips to push Loki deeper with every downward thrust. Loki would have followed him to the ends of Yggdrasil.

"Mine, yours, whatever. There's only one thing in this room I'm really concerned about making sure belongs to me."

Loki groaned at a particularly deep thrust and shifted a bit to change angles. Anthony shuddered with pleasure as the god arched a single eyebrow at him. As if he did not already know the answer.

"Oh, and what is that?"

"You," Anthony growled against Loki's lips, and that was all it took.

He flipped them both over again, mind gone in a haze of possession and pleasure. He bit down sharply on his mortal's neck as he drove his hips deeper, thrusting in and out with a kind of desperate frenzy. Anthony moaned and writhed beneath him, scratching long marks into Loki's back with his fingers and canting his hips to meet each thrust.

Their pants and moans filled the air of the room as Loki drove himself in deeper. He angled his hips to strike at Anthony's prostate again and again, pulling glorious sounds from his mortal. They each dripped with sweat and they sought out each other's mouths. The kiss was sloppy, thrown off again and again by Loki's continued thrusting, but neither much cared.

Praise spilled from Loki's lips and he drove himself deeper and deeper, lost in the pleasure and the wholeness of his soul. He whispered it into every bit of Anthony's flesh that he could reach. This was his one, his love, his mate, his _life_. Anthony had _chosen_ him, _chosen_ to give himself over to the god who had invaded his world just the week before. He'd chosen to trust Loki and that was more of a reward than anything else could possibly be.

He could feel the tightening in this abdomen and upper thighs, the pooling heat that meant he was approaching the abyss. He mouthed at the skin of Anthony's neck and his thrusting become more erratic and he reached between them to wrap his hand around his mortal's cock, stroking him in time to his thrusts. Anthony's head was thrown back, hair wild and askew and he allowed himself to be taken.

Loki growled Anthony's name as he finally came, pumping his seed deep inside the other man. It only took a few strokes longer before Anthony, too, was tipped over the edge. His cum sprayed across their stomachs in long, white streaks, standing out in stark contrast with his own tan skin. Loki pulled out with a soft moan before leaning forward to lap up his mortal's mess. Anthony chuckled tiredly before pulling him up for a kiss and collapsing against him.

"Warning, Loki cannot hold his licker."

He chuckled more, clearly having made some joke the god could not follow. Loki just pulled him closer, resituating them so that Loki's head rested on the pillows of the bed and Anthony's rested upon the god's chest. His mortal's arm curled around his waist as he snuggled in and his eyes fluttered shut.

"Can I just say that was fucking amazing?" He sighed happily as Loki began to stroke his hair, but it did not seem quite enough to stop his mouth. "I just hope you're not about to launch into round…three? Magic or no magic, I'd appreciate a nap first."

Loki snickered and pressed a kiss to his mortal's forehead.

"You needn't worry, my own, I shall need at least a few minutes to recover from your ministrations."

Anthony groaned and Loki's snicker grew to a chuckle. He cleaned them and the bed of sweat and cum, expect for what he'd left in Anthony's ass, before conjuring a blanket to cover them. He liked the thought of his lover being filled with his seed, even in no offspring could come of it. (He had it on reliable source that Midgardian males did not work thusly.)

"Sleep, Anthony. We will have much to discuss when you awaken."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Things had been exceptionally tense since Stark's disappearance and it put Thor on edge. SHIELD had moved a temporary command center into Stark Tower, something Thor was pretty sure would have driven the genius who owned it mad. But the Avengers were all staying there already, had been ever since the invasion, and it just made more sense. They all wanted to find the man and bring him home.

It'd been impossible to keep the events of that night under wraps. There had been many people to witness the genius's capture, the Avengers' failure. The news had spread across the world within minutes of its occurrence. They could only be thankful that none had been near enough to actually hear the exchange between heroes and villain.

Peppered had hovered around for the first two days doing her level best to contribute until Fury had laid out to her in no uncertain terms that she was only getting in the way. She was competent and skilled in her own right, but she had little understanding of how their world worked. He'd told her she would serve Stark better by making sure his company didn't run into the ground while he was away. Thor had almost expected her to break at that but she'd just nodded and stalked away, face a mask of determination. He had watched her go with an aching heart, knowing that even if Tony returned she would not get back the man she loved.

Bruce had fallen back into the thick of his and Tony's attempts to figure out a way to track Loki's magic. They hadn't had much luck before, but now Fury had dragged someone out of the woodwork who went by the name of Dr. Strange to help. Apparently he was well versed in the ways of magic. The team didn't interact with him much, but they disliked him on principle because of how often Bruce seemed to flee his presence to avoid Hulking out.

Natasha hovered near Barton constantly. The archer seemed utterly convinced that Tony's abduction had been his fault, that his attack was what had driven Loki over the edge. Thor was not so sure, but he recognized the look on his teammate's face well enough to know that arguments would do no good. It did not help that, in the desperation of the whole ordeal, it had been revealed that Agent Coulson had survived the attack on the Helicarrier and was working with the team once again to try and get Tony back.

For his part, the Captain never seemed to be out of uniform. His cowl was always pulled down, his shield strapped to his back. Thor had seen many warriors react like this before, trying to compensate for the idea that if they had only been ready, had only been _prepared_ for what could not have been prepared for. He ached for his team.

Thor mostly stayed back and let them go about their planning, lending a hand or knowledge when it was asked of him. He knew they would not be able to track Loki down. If Tony was truly his soulmate, as the mark had proved, then Loki would take no chances. He would spirit the mortal away to one of his own dimensions, more than likely, one of the hidden pockets of Yggdrasil.

He did not dare voice his thoughts, knew his team would not be receptive while the wound was so fresh. He could only hope that Tony would be able to convince Loki to let him come back. Thor doubted he would be able to. He'd seen the distrust his brother now displayed. Any request of such a nature would instantly be seen as an attempt at abandonment and Thor feared what that might mean for Tony's safety.

Tony had been missing for three days before Thor was proved wrong. There had been a loud crash from another room that had sent the entire team scrambling into battle mode. They'd burst through the doorway to find Tony sprawled across the floor amid toppled SHIELD equipment.

"What the ever-loving fuck is this shit doing in my tower?!"

Natasha moved subtly to put herself in front of Bruce, stopping the scientist from running to Tony's side. Her voice cracked through the air like a whip, making the genius's head snap up to look at them.

"Stark."

"Oh, hey, guys." His signature grin was plastered across his face and he got back to his feet, staggering a bit. Thor recognized the effects of being teleported instantly. It was not pleasant in his experience. "I see you've been redecorating while I was away."

"Tony, what happened? Are you okay?"

Bruce seemed to barely be holding himself back from trying to go to his friend, but Thor could not blame him for the effort. Every line of Natasha's body was tense, her gaze distrusting. Barton and the Captain seemed little better.

"Oh, you know," Tony said as he moved a few steps backward, clearly becoming wary of the situation, "got kidnapped by a god. We chatted, had tea, commiserated on the state of the economy."

"This is not a joke, Stark!" the Captain finally snapped, anger flaring. "You've been gone for three days!"

Suddenly, Tony looked just as angry and Thor eased himself into a position where he would be able to intervene if need be.

"You think I don't fucking know that?! I wasn't exactly gone on vacation, so it might be nice if my teammates," he spat the word, "would do something other than jump down my throat the moment I got home!"

"Friend Stark, please be at ease. We have been searching for you since the moment my brother took you. Tensions are simply running high, I think. Please, tell us what transpired between you."

The fight seemed to drain out of him then and he turned away, heading for the couch that had been shoved aside to make more room and flopping down onto it.

"It's complicated."

"As complicated as those hickies decorating your neck?" Natasha shot at him accusatorily.

One hand rose to trail along the bruises that covered his neck and disappeared beneath his collar and a small smile broke out across his lips. Barton made a noise of distress from off to the side, but Thor couldn't interpret what exactly it meant.

"Yeah," Tony admitted softly, "kind of like that."

"Why did my brother allow you to return?"

The genius seemed confused by the question, which boggled Thor's mind.

"I asked him to? It's not like I could stay in bed with him forever. I mean, we talked about the whole invasion thing and how it wasn't going to happen again and all that, but I've still got stuff going on here. I'm over a week behind on my new water filtration system."

"And my brother let you go? That easily? He would give you up just like that?"

The genius's brows shot upward.

"Give me up? He's not giving me up."

"So he'll be following you here? When?" Natasha's questions were probing and Tony instantly shut down into a more defensive position.

"If you think you're going to drag him off to the bowels of SHIELD, I suggest you think again."

"Fucking bastard!" Clint lunged forward, but was caught around the waist by the captain and held back even as he continued shouting. "He fucking tried to take over the planet! He's a fucking supervillain!"

"Well, he's not anymore!" Tony was on his feet, fists balled at his sides. "He'll pay penance for what he did, but it won't be in a SHIELD cell or carted back off to Asgard. He stays here. With me."

"Or what?" Natasha challenges, gaze calculating, "What possible incentive could he hold to sway such a decision in his favor?"

"That," and he was suddenly grinning again, "is a discussion we plan on having with Fury. But he needs the proof first, so Loki's going to get it."

"Proof of what?"

Thor was desperately curious. He feared to let even the spark of hope begin within him, but he couldn't stop the question from spilling forth. Tony just shrugged.

"I guess you'll find out once I've found out whether we're going on the run or not." He threw them a pained expression. "I really don't want to go on the run. Exploring these other realms sounds really interesting and all, but I like my tower and I'd be really pissed to get kicked off the team now that I'm _finally_ out of consultant status."

"This is a pretty big mess you're gonna have to clean up, Stark."

Tony just grinned at them all.

"I'm an optimist, Cap. Let's look on the bright side, at least I won't be doing it alone."

A/N: For more Avengers fanfiction, please check out my page!


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